February 2009: More New Years Resolutions

How about a resolution you can stick to? One that you can tackle and then forget about? One that keeps you organized without even thinking about it? I’m talking about the kitchen. We try to prepare healthy meals but are consumed with keeping the ingredients fresh and in order. We don’t know what we have and what we need. Have we run out? “I’m sure I bought some of that last month! Where did it go?” Do you ever have some of your dry goods for so long you don’t actually remember where they came from? Ever open that old package to discover that someone else is inside it having a snack? These are all very frustrating situations but there is a solution!

Tupperware has a wonderful product that has been around for more than a quarter of a century called Modular Mates. Modular in that they will create clean lines and fit together like a puzzle and Mates in that they will be your friends for life, 24/7.

Do your cupboards look like the before picture? Or the after? If they look like the before photo, how is that working for you? When they look like this, we tend to find it difficult to locate what we need to make our meals. We can’t tell if we have enough or are running short. Items could be stale, or worse, full of bugs, hitchhikers we bring into our homes from the grocery store. This can become costly when we have to throw food away. By simply putting foods into these airtight containers, your dry goods will stay fresh, dry, and pest free, saving money and aggravation. These see-through containers also allow you to see if you have enough of an item or if you need to add it to the grocery list. A far cry from finding what you need only when you’ve done the spring cleaning (once every 2 or 3 years). And best of all is that you will create more space in your cupboards which, ultimately, every woman needs to help her get organized!

A few tips to get going on those cupboards

Remove everything from the cupboard so you have a fresh start and get rid of anything you’ve had for a long time (when in doubt, throw it out)

Clean the cupboards thoroughly

Determine which dry goods items need the most attention (perhaps those that take the longest to use, or the ones you use the most frequently, or the ones held together with twist ties)

Group items in order of the frequency of use or their category (baking items, beverage items)

Store items closest to where you will use them (coffee and tea close to the kettle)

Use airtight containers (like Modular Mates) to store everything so it stays fresh and pest free

Avoid containers that are round as they will waste precious space

Use containers that stack easily without sliding around to avoid mishaps and create more space

Use clear containers so you can see what and how much you have of an item

Label your dry goods so it is easy to discern between them (especially the whites)

Be sure to save the “directions” labels and tape them to the container